Hastings to Lead Mountaineer Swim Program

GUNNISON, Colo.  Justin Hastings returns to the state because the Head Women’s Swimming Coach at Western Colorado University, as introduced Wednesday by the Mountaineer athletics division.

Hastings arrives at Western after 5 seasons with the University of North Texas (UNT), the place he helped lead the staff to progressively stronger finishes over the previous 4 years, together with a number of qualifiers in practically each particular person occasion within the National Invitational Championship (NIC) meet.

During this time with the Mean Green, athletes set college information within the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, 100 butterfly, and the 200 freestyle, 200 medley, and 400 medley relays. Hastings served because the lead coach for the dash and 400 particular person medley group, contributing to record-setting performances each within the pool and in robust tutorial achievements, highlighted by the ladies’s swim and dive staff incomes this system’s highest staff GPA within the UNT athletics division.

Prior to becoming a member of UNT, Hastings served because the assistant swim coach and recruiting coordinator at Colorado Mesa University (CMU), the place he labored with athletes throughout all coaching teams and oversaw recruiting efforts. During that point, he helped lead each the boys’s and girls’s packages to 3 consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) championships from 2019 by 2021.

Hastings is an alumnus of the CMU swim and dive program, the place he competed for 3 seasons from 2014 to 2016. During his profession, he earned 5 CSCAA Honorable Mention All-America honors throughout a number of occasions. Hastings additionally captured six RMAC convention titles, together with a standout 2014 season during which he gained three particular person and two relay championships, serving to lead the staff to this system’s first-ever RMAC staff championship. In 2016, he added one other particular person convention title whereas setting a convention document within the 100 Backstroke.

“It is an honor and a privilege to become the Head Women’s Swim Coach at Western Colorado University, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be returning to the Western Slope,” stated Hastings. “During my time in Grand Junction, I built strong relationships with many local club teams in the close-knit Western Slope swimming community. Those experiences, along with what I have learned during my time at UNT, have helped shape my coaching philosophy and the type of program I know I can build.

“Because of this basis and help at Western, I’m assured we are going to create an atmosphere the place each the staff and every particular person athlete can elevate themselves within the water, within the classroom, and in life. I’m excited to return again and start constructing the Mountaineers into one of many high packages in Division II.”

Interim Director of Athletics Kaylee Summers noted, “We suppose this was a ‘house run’ rent and are excited to welcome Justin to Western. His data, ardour and holistic strategy of your complete student-athlete expertise made him stand out from a really deep pool of candidates, should you’ll pardon the pun. I’d additionally wish to thank Deputy Director of Athletics Greg Hinze for chairing the search committee and doing many of the legwork on this.”

Western Colorado Athletics also currently has an opening for a full-time Assistant Swim Coach/Aquatics Coordinator position. Interested individuals can apply right here.